Sleeve type foot valve



SLEEVE TYPE FOOT VALVE Filed Aug. 26, 1940 INVENTOR. 605567 A. #96756.

Patented Nov. 4, 1941 iTED " OFFlCE SLEEVE TYPE FOOT VALVE Robert L. Harter, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Trabon Engineering Corporation,

Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application AugustZG, 1940, Serial No. 354,193

Claims.

upper end of the tubular valve sleeve of the foot valve to such an extent that the friction of the piston therewith is not great enough to lift it.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide an improved pump and/or an improved foot valve for pumps of a simple, rugged construction having positive operating characteristics suitable for high pressure pumping.

The main object of this particular construction is to provide a foot valve that will have an intake opening at least equal in area to the cross sectional area of th pump cylinder, in which this area will be open during practically the entire suction stroke, and in which the piston does not have to open the foot valve in addition to its other work of creating the suction for pulling in the charge of lubricant.

It is also an object of my invention to provid a pump comprising, a tubular casing adapted to be inserted in a container from whence a fluid is to be pumped, a piston rod for reciprocating in said casing, a piston fitting snugly in said casing for reciprocating therein and having fiuid conducting passage means extending through the piston from end to end, slack motion means connecting the piston, the rod, and the slack motion means including valve means for opening and closing the fluid passage means as the piston is moved to and fro in the Valve casing and having suitable foot valve means for opening and closing an intake port in the lower end of the casing as the piston reciprocates to and fro therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a pump having foot valve means comprising an inlet port in the side wall of the lower end ofsaid casing, a valve sleeve slidable therein for opening or closing the inlet port, and a slotted piston on the lower end of the piston rod for sliding in the valve sleeve in resilient frictional engagement for moving the valve sleeve up or down in accordance with the movements of the piston red.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a pump comprising, a tubular casing adapted to be inserted in a container having a fluid to be pumped, a cylindrical piston disposed in snug fitting relation in the casing and having an aperture passing axially therethrough, a piston rod passing through the aperture, said piston rod. being of a smaller diameter than the aperture to 5 pass loosely therein with a, fluid flow conducting space therearound, a valve disk carried on the piston rod and adapted for engaging the lower end of the piston to close the lower end of said aperture as the snug fitting piston is pulled upwardly in'the valve casing, abutment means on the portion of the rod passing up from the upper end of the piston for engaging the upper end of the snug fitting piston to push it down in the valve casing, the valve disk and the abutment 'means being suitably spaced axially along the piston rod to provide for axial movement of the rod in the piston for opening and closing the valve disk as the piston moves down and up in the valve casing, an inlet port in theside wall of the lower end of said casing, a foot Valve sleeve slidable therein for opening and closing said inlet port and a slotted piston on the lower end of the piston rod and slidably disposed in said valve sleeve for resiliently gripping the sleeve with a high frictional engagement for opening and closing the inlet port as the piston rod 'moves up and down in said casing.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of my invention, such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification in conjunction with the drawing disclosing a specific form of my invention, in

which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken axially through the pump showing the pump piston and the foot valve in th uppermost position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the pump parts in the lowermost position;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;- and Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, my improved pump and foot valve comprises a pump or valve casing I externally threaded at the lower end to receive alower valve casing 3 of a larger diameter which is threaded thereon. The lower end of the lower casing 3 is internally threaded for receiving a plug 5 by which it is closed. Also the lower casing may be omitted by making the upper casing I sufficiently elongated, if desired. The casing or casings are of suitable length and diameter to be convenient for insertion into vessels and containers of various kinds such as barrels, drums, vats and the like containing liquids to be pumped therefrom.

Opening through the side wall of the lower casing 3 are intake port openings I of a suitable total cross sectional area to admit fluid into the pump without undue resistance. For this purpose I provide openings at least equal in area to the cross sectional area of the pump cylinder. A sleeve 9 is provided which slides snugly in the casing 3 for opening and closing the intake ports "I to function as a foot valve for the pump. A pump or piston rod II is axially disposed in the casing I where it reciprocates for operating the pump, being actuated by any suitably actuating mechanism in a well known manner.

For actuating the foot valve sleeve 9 to and fro in accordance with the reciprocation of the piston rod II, I provide a resilient driving member I3 which may consist of a piston having a slot I extending through the skirt of the piston and up through the restricted end thereof. The piston I3 is made to a diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the valve sleeve 9 and the slot I5 in the skirt of the piston makes it resilient so that it engages the inside surface of the valve sleeve with a frictional engagement sufficient to move the valve sleeve to and fro as the piston rod reciprocates. The slot I5 also continues up through the restricted part of the piston I3 to provide a free passage for fluid to flow therethrough at all times.

The resilience of the split piston I3 may be improved by a resilient split ring I! pressed snugly into the piston and seated in a circumferential groove I9 therein. The restricted end of the resilient piston I3 has a suitable aperture 2| for receiving the lower end of the piston rod II which is of reduced diameter and which is secured in any suitable manner, or by a pin 23 passing transversely therethrough. As the piston rod II moves upwardly, the valve sleeve 9 is lifted, opening the intake ports I, and the upper end of the valve sleeve then abuts the lower end of the upper tubular casing member I, as shown in Fig. 1. If the upper casing I is of elon ated form. the lower casing being omitted. it is then necessary to provide a suitable projection or stop means to limit the upward movement of the valve sleeve 9. which may be readily accomolished in various ways. as by providing a pin or pins (not shown) secured in the side wall of the casin and projectin thereinto. as will be readily understood. As the piston rod II moves down, the valve sleeve 9 is moved down until it closes the intake port openings 1 and abuts the plu 5 in the lower end of the casing, as shown in Fig. 2.

A pump piston 25. slidably disposed in the casing in snug relation. may have conventional piston rings 21 resiliently sprung in circumferential grooves 29 in the side walls of the piston to provide a snug fluid sealing fit in the casing, in a well known manner. The piston 25 has a fluid conducting passage 3| extending therethrough from end to end, which for convenience may be in the form of an axially extending aperture or bore large enough to also pass the piston rod freely therethrough. The axial passage in the piston may have a reduced shoulder 33 in the upper end but sufliciently larger than the rod I I to permit fluid to flow freely through the piston around the rod.

The pump piston II is actuated by a slack motion driving connection comprising a valve member 35 and abutment means 3'! projecting from the piston rod at points suitably spaced axially along the rod. The valve member 35 is preferably of a disk-like conformation and centrally apertured to fit snugly on the rod II where it is secured against a shoulder 39 on the rod by a pair of locked nuts 4| thereon. As the rod II moves up, the valve member 35 engages the lower end of the piston 25 for lifting the piston and also for closing the lower end of the fluid conducting passage 3| in the piston. To provide snug valve seating surfaces, the abutting surfaces of the valve disk and the piston may be made of a suitable, tapering, conical conformation and suitably ground to a close flt, in a well known manner.

The upper abutment means 3'! may be a pin or other projection of any suitable form, but I have found a convenient arrangement for this purpose consists of an annular ring or washer-like member placed on the piston rod above the piston. The outer diameter of abutment ring 31 is sufliciently large to engage on the upper end of the piston to push it down when the rod moves down. The upward movement of the abutment ring 31 on the rod II is limited by engagement with a shoulder 43 on the rod, the upper portion of the rod being of a large diameter. The peripheral surface of the piston rod II is provided with grooves or slots 45 extending axially and passing through the abutment ring 3! so that fluid may pass freely therethrough as the pump piston is pressed downwardly by the ring 31 pressing down on the piston.

In operation, a downward movement of the piston rod I I pushes the foot valve sleeve 9 down to close the intake port openings 1, carries the abutment ring 31 to strike the upper end of the pump piston 25 and push it down, while at the same time moving the valve disk 35 away from the lower end of the piston to open the axial passage 3| permitting fluid, previously drawn into the lower part of the casing, to flow up through the piston into the space in the casing above the pump piston. When the direction of motion of the piston rod II is reversed, and the rod moves upwardly, the valve disk 35 is carried into seating engagement closing the lower end of the passage 3| in the piston and lifting the piston and all the fluid previously charged into the space above it. Simultaneously, the upward movement of the piston rod lifts the foot valve sleeve 9 and opens the intake ports 1 to admit fluid to flow into the casing 3 from the barrel or vat in which it has been immersed. As the piston rod II reciprocates, this sequence of operations continues successively.

It is apparent that within the scope of the invention, modifications and different arrangements may be made other than herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending variations thereof.

I claim:

1. A pump comprising, a tubular casing adapted to be inserted into a vessel having a fluid to be pumped, a piston rod for reciprocating in said casing, a piston fitting snugly in said casing for reciprocating therein, fluid conducting passage means extending through said piston from end to end, slack motion means connecting said piston with said rod, said slack motion means including valve means for opening and closing said fluid passage means as the piston is moved to and fro in the valve casing, an inlet port in one end of said casing, a sleeve type valve slidable in said casing, intake ports in the side wall of said casing having a total cross-sectional area at least equal in area to the cross-sectional area of the pump cylinder, and frictional driving means on said rod, separate and distinct from and not directly connected to the piston for moving said sleeve valve to and fro to open and close said intake ports.

2. A pump comprising, a tubular valve casing adapted to be immersed in a fluid to be pumped, a piston reciprocatably disposed in snug fitting relation in said valve casing, said piston being of a tubular conformation having an aperture passing axially therethrough from end to end, a piston rod passing through the aperture in said piston in loose fitting relation so that fluid may flow therethrough, a valve member carried on the piston rod and adapted for engaging the lower portion of the piston in fluid flow restricting relation to close the lower end of the axial aperture when the rod moves upwardly to lift the piston,

abutment means on the piston rod for engaging the upper end of the piston to push it down in the valve casing when the piston moves down, said valve member and said abutment means being suitably spaced axially along the piston rod to provide for slack motion of the piston rod axially in the piston for moving the valve memher down to open the lower end of said aperture before said abutment means engages the piston to move it down in the valve casing, an inlet port in said casing, a sleeve type valve in said casing, a partially collapsible and expansible member secured to the piston rod below the piston for opening and closing the inlet port by frictional contact as the piston rod reciprocates in the casing.

3. A pump comprising, a tubular valve casing adapted to be immersed in a fluid to be pumped, a cylindrical piston disposed in snug fitting relation in said valve casing, said piston having an aperture passing axially therethrough, a piston rod passing through said aperture, said piston being of a smaller diameter than the aperture to pass loosely therein with a fluid flow conducting space therearound, a valve disk carried on the lower end of said piston rod and adapted for engaging the lower end of the piston to close the lower end of said aperture as the snug fitting piston is pulled upwardly in the valve casing, abutment means on the portion of the rod passing up from the upper end of the piston for engaging the upper end of the snug fitting piston to push it down in the valve casing, said valve disk and said abutment means being suitably spaced axially along the piston rod to provide for axial movement of the rod in the piston for opening and closing the valve disk from and to the piston as the piston is moved down and up in the valve casing, an intake port opening through the side wall of the casing and having a cross-sectional area at least equal to the cross-sectional area of the pump cylinder, a sleeve slidable in said casing for opening or closing said intake port, and resilient driving means on said piston rod separate from and not directly connected with said piston for frictionally engaging the sleeve to slide it to and fro as the piston reciprocates, the piston at no time coming in contact with the sleeve.

4. A pump comprising, a tubular casing adapted to be immersed in a fluid to be pumped, a piston reciprocatably disposed in snug fitting relation in said casing, said piston having fluid flow aperture means passing therethrough from end to end, a piston rod passing through said piston in loose fitting relation, a valve member carried on the piston rod' and adapted for engaging a portion of the piston to close said aperture means in the piston when the rod moves in one direction, abutment means on the piston rod for engaging the piston to push it in an opposite direction in the casing when the piston rod moves in the opposite direction, said valve member and said abutment means being suitably spaced axially along the piston rod to provide for slack motion of the piston rod axially in the piston for moving the valve member down to open the lower end of said aperture before said abutment means engages the piston to move it down in'the valve casing, an inlet port in said casing, and a sleeve type foot valve actuated from the piston rod by means other than the piston to open or close the inlet port as the piston rod reciprocates.

5. A pump comprising, a tubular casing adapted to be immersed in a fluid to be pumped, a piston reciprocatably disposed in snug fitting relation in said casing, said piston having fluid flow aperture means passing therethrough from end to end, a piston rod passing through said piston in loose fitting relation, a valve member carried on the piston rod and adapted for engaging a portion of the piston to close said aperture means in the piston when the rod moves in one direction, abutment means on the piston rod for engaging the piston to push it in an opposite direction in the casing when the piston rod moves in the opposite direction, said valve member and said abutment means being suitably spaced axially along the piston rod to provide for slack motion of the piston rod axially in the piston for moving the valve member down to open the lower end of said aperture before said abutment means engages the piston to move it down in the valve casing, an intake port opening through the side wall of the casing, a sleeve slidable in said casing for opening and closing said intake port, a slotted resilient member on the piston rod separated and spaced an appreciable distance from the piston for frictionally engaging the sleeve to move it to and fro as the piston reciprocates and being always open to permit fluid to flow freely therethrough.

ROBERT L. HARTER. 

